"Splendidly written and illustrated a gruesome but enjoyable journey through the history of pain and punishment. I was hooked from A to Z." Endorsement from James Herbert Who are the Maccabees? A modern pop combo, or a mother and her seven sons who suffered racking, skinning, burning, amputation and having a tongue pulled out and fried? The A to Z of Punishment and Torture is fascinating social history providing a wealth of weird folklore, such as the power of the hanged man's hand; astounding tales, like Mary Hamilton, the cross-dressing 14-times bigamist; and more recent outrages, such as the use of squassation at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Man's inhumanity to man continues, tragically, to know no bounds, yet the survivors' tales are heroic and legion. And who can resist a smirk at the knowledge that young Tony Blair received six of the best at his posh private school?

2008-04-22 Good Read

A riveting chronicle of punishment, torture and pain down the ages -- though not a book for bedtime! Irene T. also explodes a few myths. It's unlikely sailors ever had to walk the plank (they were probably just tossed overboard), while in England few witches were burned alive at the stake. They hanged or strangled them first. And lifelong imprisonment wasn't without its comforts: one fellow kept in Newgate prison without trial for nearly 50 years managed to have a wife who gave him children -- all ten of them born in his cell. A relief to learn, too, that eucalyptus oil works best if you've just been tarred and feathered. Well-written by an accomplished journalist, it's a good read.